I am going to run the Curse of Strahd module for my group, and I had this idea of making them commit a horrible act, and this is why they are taken to Ravenloft.
The first part of the campaign is the characters' memories. It is levels 1 through 3 (they recommended to run Death House but I don't like it), and we will explore the last events they remember before they were taken by the mists.
The first chapter of this adventure (Level 1 to 2) is about exploring the wilderness around their home village. Hunters and lumberjacks are attacked by feral beasts and barbarians in the forests. The village will send the party to investigate, they will encounter a pack of wolves and later some barbarians, confirming the rumors. The thing is that some of those wolves are werewolves and the party is infected by lycanthropy.
The second chapter (Level 2 to 3): A month later, the village is preparing for war, as barbarian activities are growing. Once again the party will be sent to scout ahead. This time they will be lost in the mists, only to return back to their forces as they are being attacked from every direction. At this point, the characters will try to defend the village militia. In the end, they will find themselves surrounded by corpses, but they won, and the enemy is dead. Then the mists will take them.
What actually happened is that the players turned to werewolves and killed everyone, but they won't remember it that way. I will write down exactly what each player did during their combat rounds and as they will progress in Barovia, they will have nightmares that will hint of what really happened.
In the end, when they will defeat Strahd and pass through the mists they will finally remember what really happened and confront their memories. Then they will find themselves in a perverted version of their land, and as they watch over a village that looks a little bit like their own, they will feel the hunger and rage, they will see the full moon, and they will change. Now they are trapped in their own domain of Ravenloft forever.
What do you think about my idea? and do you have tips on how should I run it?
That is an amazing idea, and perfectly fitting for Ravenloft. Although the players might feel a bit cheated that they had no control over why they ended up as Darklords
That is an amazing idea, and perfectly fitting for Ravenloft. Although the players might feel a bit cheated that they had no control over why they ended up as Darklords
Yes, I agree, this is the only problem I have with it. But I also want to end it in a true tragic Ravenloft way.
Would love to hear suggestions.
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“I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together freely and build our castles in the air.” ― Bram Stoker, Dracula
Okay, I am dropping the werewolf thing, and attempting to go on a more open-ended scenario:
On the last encounter of the adventure the party and the village militia breach the barbarian camp, there they find not only warriors but also elders and children. The captain of the militia orders the soldiers to kill everyone, to wipe the barbarians out.
The characters were scouting around the barbarian camp and were lost (more mislead) by the mists, and finally, enter the camp only to witness the horrors the captain and his loyal sergeant are committing. Here the players will have options, they can either do it, aid their captain to kill everyone at the camp, and thus commit an evil crime, or try and stop the captain, but, the militia now without their leader and maybe some of his loyal sergeants. The barbarians will use the chaos to push the village soldiers out of their camp, leading to more dead soldiers and maybe even risking the safety of the PCs home. The players can still struggle with their decision on this encounter, they might even come up with a totally different option to deal with this scenario and I will try and escalate it and have dire consequences.
And now, along their travels in Barovia, and they attempt to read the land from great evil they also have to make peace with themselves, and the nightmares that will visit them, because of the events at the barbarian camp.
Is it better?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together freely and build our castles in the air.” ― Bram Stoker, Dracula
Maybe put in some incentive for players to act evil throughout the campaign? Like the Power Checks from old Ravenloft, where players who did something evil or otherwise noteworthy had to make a check to avoid the attention of the Dark Powers, who would offer them benefits, at a price. Maybe you could write in similar scenes throughout the game, where players can get some minor or major benefit from committing an evil act. Maybe the guy in Lake Zarovich offers something if the players just leave them alone? Or maybe they find Mordenkainen or another npc with valuable loot trapped, and freeing them would mean giving up the loot
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Hello everyone.
I am going to run the Curse of Strahd module for my group, and I had this idea of making them commit a horrible act, and this is why they are taken to Ravenloft.
The first part of the campaign is the characters' memories. It is levels 1 through 3 (they recommended to run Death House but I don't like it), and we will explore the last events they remember before they were taken by the mists.
The first chapter of this adventure (Level 1 to 2) is about exploring the wilderness around their home village. Hunters and lumberjacks are attacked by feral beasts and barbarians in the forests. The village will send the party to investigate, they will encounter a pack of wolves and later some barbarians, confirming the rumors.
The thing is that some of those wolves are werewolves and the party is infected by lycanthropy.
The second chapter (Level 2 to 3): A month later, the village is preparing for war, as barbarian activities are growing. Once again the party will be sent to scout ahead. This time they will be lost in the mists, only to return back to their forces as they are being attacked from every direction.
At this point, the characters will try to defend the village militia. In the end, they will find themselves surrounded by corpses, but they won, and the enemy is dead. Then the mists will take them.
What actually happened is that the players turned to werewolves and killed everyone, but they won't remember it that way. I will write down exactly what each player did during their combat rounds and as they will progress in Barovia, they will have nightmares that will hint of what really happened.
In the end, when they will defeat Strahd and pass through the mists they will finally remember what really happened and confront their memories. Then they will find themselves in a perverted version of their land, and as they watch over a village that looks a little bit like their own, they will feel the hunger and rage, they will see the full moon, and they will change. Now they are trapped in their own domain of Ravenloft forever.
What do you think about my idea? and do you have tips on how should I run it?
“I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together freely and build our castles in the air.”
― Bram Stoker, Dracula
That is an amazing idea, and perfectly fitting for Ravenloft. Although the players might feel a bit cheated that they had no control over why they ended up as Darklords
Yes, I agree, this is the only problem I have with it. But I also want to end it in a true tragic Ravenloft way.
Would love to hear suggestions.
“I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together freely and build our castles in the air.”
― Bram Stoker, Dracula
Okay, I am dropping the werewolf thing, and attempting to go on a more open-ended scenario:
On the last encounter of the adventure the party and the village militia breach the barbarian camp, there they find not only warriors but also elders and children. The captain of the militia orders the soldiers to kill everyone, to wipe the barbarians out.
The characters were scouting around the barbarian camp and were lost (more mislead) by the mists, and finally, enter the camp only to witness the horrors the captain and his loyal sergeant are committing.
Here the players will have options, they can either do it, aid their captain to kill everyone at the camp, and thus commit an evil crime, or try and stop the captain, but, the militia now without their leader and maybe some of his loyal sergeants. The barbarians will use the chaos to push the village soldiers out of their camp, leading to more dead soldiers and maybe even risking the safety of the PCs home. The players can still struggle with their decision on this encounter, they might even come up with a totally different option to deal with this scenario and I will try and escalate it and have dire consequences.
And now, along their travels in Barovia, and they attempt to read the land from great evil they also have to make peace with themselves, and the nightmares that will visit them, because of the events at the barbarian camp.
Is it better?
“I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together freely and build our castles in the air.”
― Bram Stoker, Dracula
Maybe put in some incentive for players to act evil throughout the campaign? Like the Power Checks from old Ravenloft, where players who did something evil or otherwise noteworthy had to make a check to avoid the attention of the Dark Powers, who would offer them benefits, at a price. Maybe you could write in similar scenes throughout the game, where players can get some minor or major benefit from committing an evil act. Maybe the guy in Lake Zarovich offers something if the players just leave them alone? Or maybe they find Mordenkainen or another npc with valuable loot trapped, and freeing them would mean giving up the loot